107: Tortoise

"Great!" Wang Yu nodded vigorously, his eyes shining. "From now on, we'll definitely be fighting side-by-side on missions! I'll go get familiar with the environment first; I still have some paperwork to handle, so I'll take my leave now, Senior silver skeleton!"

"Goodbye."

Watching the energetic youth's back disappear around the corner of the corridor, Lu Jianchuan stood in place for a moment. There were no emergency missions today, so he decided to take this opportunity to familiarize himself with this place where he might be stationed long-term in the future.

He strolled through several corridors marked with different functions, the sound of his alloy soles striking the floor echoing rhythmically in the empty passages. Turning a corner, the sign for the area ahead read "Contained Ecological Observation Zone." A row of massive reinforced glass observation windows was lined up, with isolation rooms behind them simulated into different ecological environments.

His steps naturally came to a halt in front of the first observation window.

The interior was arranged as a warm and comfortable space, with soft cushions and cat trees of varying heights. A creature much larger than an ordinary house cat, its entire body covered in smooth, dark skin, was curled up lazily on the highest platform, meticulously licking its front paws. It was the evolved "Big Orange" whose fate had once been intertwined with Li Zhe's and was eventually contained here.

"We meet again," Lu Jianchuan whispered silently, his gaze falling on its ears, which were slightly small compared to its massive body. Those ears twitched imperceptibly as he approached.

"Mr. silver skeleton?" A person wearing a white research coat noticed him and walked over quickly, a look of moderate curiosity on their face. "What brings you here?"

Lu Jianchuan turned slightly, his tone calm. "Nothing much, just taking a walk. It... seems to be in good condition." His gaze returned to the window. "I remember its young owner, Li Zhe. He should still be in school now?"

"Yes," the Researcher said, following his gaze with a certain tone. "Student Li Zhe is currently prioritizing his studies. However, we have had in-depth communication with his mother. Once he successfully completes his studies and passes the relevant evaluations, there is a high probability he will be specially recruited directly into our department." He paused, a hint of a smile in his voice. "After all, with it here, this special bond is a very stable and precious bond of trust for both of us."

Lu Jianchuan nodded silently in understanding. He didn't ask further, and after his gaze lingered on the comfortable creature for a moment, he continued walking forward.

Ahead was an even more open simulated training ground. Through the glass, he saw a German Shepherd with a body size comparable to a small calf, covered in dark silver biological scales, sitting quietly beside a female Researcher. Its posture was steady, and its gaze was gentle and focused, forming a strange contrast with its imposing and majestic appearance.

"That's 'Blade Fang,' designated A-11." A nearby security guard noticed him stopping and took the initiative to introduce it, his tone carrying a hint of subtle protectiveness. "A few years ago, to protect its owner who was then an intern Researcher, it evolved these armor scales and strength at the brink of death. It's very loyal and reliable, an important 'special asset' here, and a partner we fight alongside."

Lu Jianchuan's gaze swept over Blade Fang's scales, which shimmered with a cold metallic light, and then he seemingly casually glanced back at the dark figure curled up on the path he had come from.

He didn't make any comments, simply noting what he had seen and heard. Then he turned and continued his unfinished patrol along the path he came.

Lu Jianchuan continued to walk aimlessly inside the base, trying to familiarize himself with this massive and complex institution in this way.

As he neared an exit leading to the vehicle dispatch area, he saw a somewhat familiar young man holding a tablet, operating it rapidly while hurrying out, his face carrying the mix of nervousness and focus typical of a novice.

It was the Investigator, Chen Xing.

"Chen Xing?" Lu Jianchuan called out to him.

Chen Xing looked up at the sound, and seeing it was Lu Jianchuan, he immediately stopped and stood a bit straighter, looking slightly constrained. "Mr. silver skeleton!"

"In such a hurry, do you have a mission?"

"Yes," Chen Xing turned the tablet screen slightly toward Lu Jianchuan. It showed a map coordinate located somewhere along the coast of the Quiet Sea, where an energy reading was flickering weakly but continuously. "We just monitored a new abnormal EVO signal over at the Quiet Sea. The concentration isn't high, about 0.023%, but the pattern is strange. It's like... a near-death trigger, yet very mild. Instructor Anvil asked me to go do an initial assessment."

Quiet Sea... Hearing the name, Lu Jianchuan immediately thought of the White Whale "White Star," who had yearned to return to the ocean but ultimately died on the plaza. His brow furrowed slightly as an indescribable premonition welled up in his heart.

"I don't have anything to do right now anyway," Lu Jianchuan said. "I'll go take a look with you."

Chen Xing froze for a moment, then a look of surprise and relief appeared on his face. "Really? That's great! I'll apply for a coordinated action permit from above right now!"

The application was quickly approved. A moment later, the two of them were in a standard GUPA off-road vehicle, driving toward the shore of the Quiet Sea outside the city.

Guided by the detector, they eventually parked the car near a sparsely populated beach full of reefs. The salty sea breeze blew against their faces, carrying the roar of waves crashing against the shore.

The signal source was in a crevice among the reefs ahead. The two approached cautiously, but the scene before them left them somewhat bewildered.

It was a fairly large tortoise. The shape of its shell was undergoing a slow but obvious change; the originally high and rounded carapace was becoming flatter and more streamlined, and the webbing on its limbs was becoming wider and more suitable for paddling at a visible rate. Most noticeable was its head, where the nostrils were moving upward to better adapt to breathing above the water's surface. A faint evolutionary glow permeated its body, clearly indicating it was in an activated state.

But its condition didn't seem good. Its movements were sluggish, its eyes dim, and it lay in a shallow puddle among the reefs, every breath appearing somewhat labored.

"Is this... a tortoise?" Chen Xing crouched down and scanned it carefully with the detector. "How did it end up here? And this evolutionary direction..."

Lu Jianchuan's gaze swept the surroundings. On the sand a few steps away, he saw a discarded, crude plastic mesh bag printed with the words "Release for Merit." He understood everything in an instant.

"It's a 'release,'" Lu Jianchuan's voice carried a hint of coldness. "Some people treat tortoises that originally lived in freshwater or on land as tools for 'performing good deeds' and throw them into the sea."

Chen Xing also saw the mesh bag, an expression of absurdity and anger appearing on his face. "They're killing... no, they're taking a life! The salinity of the seawater, the environment, the food... this is a dead end for it!"

To avoid drowning and to survive in this cruel environment to which it was completely unadapted, the meager evo factor within this tortoise's body was triggered. It had no choice but to begin a desperate and hurried evolutionary reconstruction along the blueprint closest to it in its genetic memory—the form of a sea turtle. This process itself was consuming its already dwindling life force.

"Record the situation," Lu Jianchuan said to Chen Xing, his gaze falling on the creature struggling to survive. "This is a typical case of non-natural evolution triggered by human ignorance. The risk Rank... might not be high."

Chen Xing quickly operated the detector, recording the field data, energy readings, and details of the tortoise's morphological changes one by one. As he recorded, he said:

"The signal is stable, and the evolutionary direction is clear; it's a typical stress-adaptive evolution. Although it currently seems to be just structural adjustments and the risk Rank is very low, it's best to take it back to the base for isolation and observation to avoid any subsequent uncontrollable mutations or interference from other factors."

He Retract the detector, took out a pair of special bio-protective gloves from his investigation bag, put them on, and then carefully stepped into the shallow puddle.

"Don't be afraid, little guy, I'm taking you to a safe place." Chen Xing's voice was very soft as he extremely gently supported the edges of the tortoise's plastron and carapace, lifting it steadily out of the water.

Out of the seawater, the tortoise seemed a bit more comfortable, and the strength of its struggle weakened. Chen Xing temporarily placed it on a flat reef, then took out his drinking water to carefully wash away the residual sea salt from its shell and skin, gently wiping it with a clean wet cloth to keep its body surface moist.

"Even though it's transforming into a sea turtle, it's still a tortoise at its core. Sudden contact with a high-salinity environment is very harmful to it. I'll use freshwater to alleviate it first," Chen Xing explained his actions to Lu Jianchuan.

After doing this, he properly placed the now temporarily calm tortoise into a dedicated storage box with ventilation holes.

Watching Chen Xing's series of skilled and professional operations, Lu Jianchuan couldn't help but remark: "This is truly... a peaceful evolutionary event. No fighting, no destruction. It's wonderful that it can end so peacefully."

Chen Xing also smiled and picked up the storage box. "Yeah, compared to dealing with those dangerous deviant individuals, this kind of situation is a 'good job.' I'll prepare some fruit and clean vegetables for it when we get back; what it needs most now is recovery and adaptation."

The two left the beach and returned to the base with this unexpected "harvest." The setting sun stretched their shadows long; this mission had concluded in a rare state of tranquility.